Social Activism ... USA
Occupy Detroit

Challenges don't deter Occupy Detroit protesters from getting out their message

COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Challenges don't deter Occupy Detroit protesters from getting out their message

IMAGE Patience Young, 22, of Detroit pours water into a wash bucket for dishes at the Occupy Detroit encampment at Grand Circus Park in Detroit. The camp has been set up to last awhile: It has a well-equipped kitchen, tents with stocked supplies, a library and even a medical tent. / Oct. 18 photos by PATRICIA BECK/Detroit Free Press

Occupy Detroit protesters are rallying for and against various issues, among them welfare cuts, immigrant deportations and foreclosures.

IMAGE Jessica Dawl, 26, of Hamtramck was drawn to Occupy Detroit out of frustration. 'I have student loans on top of bank debts,' she said. / Oct. 18 photo by PATRICIA BECK/Detroit Free Press

Many are recent college grads, frustrated by a lack of jobs and saddled with student debt. Others work full-time, stuck with low wages. And some are middle-age Detroiters who are unemployed after working decades in the auto industry.

Despite their diverse backgrounds, the protesters with Occupy Detroit -- now camped out in Grand Circus Park for two weeks -- are united in their efforts to send a message: The system isn't working for them.

The protesters are part of a movement of people upset at the growing concentration of wealth. Income inequality in the U.S. is at its highest since at least 1967, when the census started recording household income.

The 150 or so protesters who have set up tents downtown have endured rain, winds and biting cold. They've had money, a cell phone and a computer stolen. And they've had to deal with homeless people swarming their encampment.

Though facing challenges, the Detroit protesters say they're committed to staying indefinitely in the park. They are backed by unions, such as the AFL-CIO and UAW, as well as some churches, civil rights groups and women's organizations that are providing supplies.

The camp has been set up to last awhile: It has a well-equipped kitchen that serves three meals a day, tents with stocked supplies, a library and even a medical tent.

Lucianna Sabgash, 30, of Ypsilanti had her laptop stolen, but she's not leaving. 'It's the most important thing I've ever done,' she said of the protest.

Occupy Detroit focuses on its message rather than challenges

On a soggy afternoon at the Occupy Detroit encampment, Jessica Dawl of Hamtramck helped prepare lunch as she explained what drew her there.

'It's tough to get work,' Dawl, 26, said in the kitchen while homeless Detroiters lined up for trays of basil-pesto pasta. 'I have student loans on top of bank debts.'

Like the roughly 150 other protesters camped out in downtown Detroit, Dawl was drawn to Occupy Detroit out of frustration. But she doesn't see this 'as a protest to take the man down,' rather it's 'a peaceful movement to unite all people.'

'We have to help each other out,' she said.

The Occupy Detroit movement at Grand Circus Park is inspired by protests in New York City against Wall Street and by summer youth protests in Spain over high unemployment. The protests now have spread to 70 major cities in the U.S. and 900 worldwide.

Protesters are concerned about growing income inequality in the U.S. and what they say is the excessive power of Wall Street on ordinary Americans.

'The system has gotten so out of hand,' said Richard Davis, 24, of Royal Oak, who was in the Navy and now is trying to be a pharmacy tech. 'Some say we're a bunch of hippies who don't want to work. But that's not true. How can you work when there's nothing out there?'

Justin Thyme, 21, of Detroit agreed.

'They say we need to get a job, but a lot can't find a job,' said Thyme, who works in a restaurant. 'It's hard out there, and it's getting harder.'

What makes Detroit's Occupy protest different than most is that it's in a city that has been especially hammered by changes in the economy.

Michigan has the third-highest unemployment rate in the U.S., and Detroit has seen a greater population loss than any other city in the U.S. It also has high poverty and a growing homeless population. And many are turning to Detroit to see how younger generations can create a new future.

'Detroit has a lot to teach the Occupy movement,' said Sarah Coffey, 38, a legal assistant camping at Occupy Detroit. 'What would it look like if we had a real democracy?'

Troubles in the park

Inside the western half of Grand Circus Park, which is bisected by Woodward Avenue, 50 tents have sprung up -- an odd sight given its location in downtown. Placards dot the park. 'Morals Not Money,' reads one. 'We the People,' says another, quoting the U.S. Constitution.

But because of Detroit's poverty, protesters have dealt with some unique challenges.

Homeless people are drawn to the camp, especially because of the kitchen, which offers three meals a day. The first weekend, the camp heard gunshots and dealt with a suicidal homeless man, and vagrants tried to break into tents after midnight. The cell phone used by the medical team was stolen. The thief demanded a $100 ransom to get the phone back, which they paid.

'We've become completely inundated,' said Kyle Boyer, 23, of Wixom. 'We've become more of a homeless service.'

But Boyer and others don't mind, acknowledging that homeless people considered the park their territory before the protesters came. Boyer says he's committed to staying.

'There is heart and soul in this place,' Boyer said.

In just a week, the protesters managed to create a community. The participants come from various backgrounds: They are white, black and Latino; gay and straight. And they hold general assembly meetings, whose democratic procedures came out of the Spain protests.

The sense of camaraderie could be seen one night last week. As the sun set, homeless people lined up for a meal of chicken chili and black bean lasagna. A woman stacked blankets and clothes in the supply tent. And near the fountain, three men played a keyboard and drum, singing: 'Rise up, everybody. Rise up.'

Getting the word out

Social media has been key in the movement, with protesters using websites to quickly organize and spread their message.

And the movement is supported by some established organizations in metro Detroit.

Central United Methodist Church, a historic church that sits just north of the park, is providing logistical support and meeting space for the protesters. The National Lawyers Guild is providing legal assistance. Unions, including the AFL-CIO and the UAW, are backing the group's protests. And the Detroit chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) dropped off supplies last week.

A nightclub that sits north of the encampment, LAX, also has helped by providing rest rooms and a warm floor to sleep on during cold nights.

So far, no elected officials have showed up at the encampment or voiced support. That doesn't bother the Occupy Detroit protesters, however, who said they are wary of mainstream groups and politicians.

'We feel like we don't have a voice,' said Maggie McGuire, 27, of Detroit. 'We live in a democracy, but giant corporate wealth has more weight' than regular people.

What are the group's demands? For now they don't have any specific requests, but they're rallying for and against various issues -- among them welfare cuts, immigrant deportations and bank foreclosures. Last week, about 300 rallied in front of Bank of America offices in Detroit demanding a moratorium on foreclosures.

Ties with police

In other cities, such encampments have caused tensions, with police arresting Occupy protesters and ending their camp-outs.

But at Occupy Detroit, there hasn't been a single arrest, and relations with the police are excellent, protesters said. On most days, a police car or two sits on the edge of the park, monitoring the crowd.

One night, after a homeless man needed medical attention, a police officer came into the encampment. But after some expressed concern, the officer left, saying he didn't want to offend anyone.

The dilemma is that although the protesters need security, some are wary of a police presence.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and police have both said they support the group's right to peacefully assemble. The protesters say they will be there indefinitely.

At the last general assembly meeting, there was even talk about how to prepare for winter.

Thyme has been working 12-14 hour days putting together the kitchen, which has functioning burners, and a supply tent with everything from collard greens to whole-grain pasta to butternut squash. Scampering around to prepare for lunch one day, he said he's prepared for anything.

Last week, he said he climbed up a tree 'like a lumberjack' to tether a wide tarp to protect their kitchen and tents from heavy rains.

And 'if it snows, well, I'll just wear more clothes.'